Scores of e-rickshaws drivers and owners today staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here demanding that the government take steps to facilitate the operation of such vehicles.

The slogan of the protesters, led by the Battery Rickshaw Sangh national convener Jai Bhagwan Goel, was, "This is not an auto, it is an e-rickshaw... Don't finish our livelihood".

Delhi High Court yesterday made it clear that it cannot allow e-rickshaws to ply unless there were guidelines to regulate them and asked the Centre to come up with draft regulations.

"We want immediate relief for e-rickshaw drivers who are facing problems after the court's order. We want the Centre to form guidelines immediately so that we are allowed to earn our livelihood," Goel said, adding, "We also appeal to the court to give us relief."

"Our concern is very clear and we cannot allow these e-rickshaws without any regulations," a bench of Justices BD Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul had said, listing the matter for further hearing on August 14.